No one needs to be told or lectured on how important this election is. All we have heard wherever we go or click is “Vote Vote Vote!” and rightly so. Voting is our civic duty and a privilege granted to us as members of a free society. However, just as it is important to vote, it is equally important to understand why people may vote a certain way, rather than dismissing them through harmful labels and stereotypes. Our political discourse and respect for one another has unfortunately devolved over time, and both parties are responsible for this. However, as a generation, it is imperative that we take matters into our own hands and work towards positions of mutual understanding, rather than contempt. 

We are members of the College Republicans. It is no secret that we belong to one of the most maligned groups, not just on Loyola’s campus, but probably any college campus that you may find. We have been smeared as racist, sexist, homophobic, and tabbed with any “ism” that exists. However, we represent a considerable portion of students on our campus. We have over 500 followers on our Instagram page and hundreds of students on our e-mail list. We are students that you have seen and talked to on campus and would not be suspected to be any of those hateful things. We are White, Black, Latino, and Asian. We are gay and straight. We are able-bodied  and disabled. We are Loyola students, and most importantly, we are Americans. 

So why are we Republicans? We believe in the United States Constitution and the limited government that it creates. The Bill of Rights is not a list of our rights, but rather a list of what the government cannot do to its citizens, emphasizing the fact that individual liberty is dependent on small government. We believe in federalism and that the best and most impactful form of governance comes from the most local of levels. We believe in equality of opportunity for every individual, backed by a free market capitalist system that places competition, entrepreneurship, and innovation at the forefront. No one’s zip code, skin color, gender, etc. should determine their destiny in place of a strong work ethic. We believe in a strong national defense and a foreign policy built on diplomacy and avoiding disastrous foreign wars. We believe that American interests are paramount and that we shouldn’t be footing the bill for other countries that have taken advantage of us, unwilling to pay their fair share in globalist agreements.

We understand that we are in a very tumultuous period in American politics. With social justice at the forefront, it is no surprise that many are basing their vote on these key issues. But a vote for Republican Party is far from a vote for racism and prejudice as many would have you believe. We all looked at the murder of George Floyd with anger and sadness, recognizing the need for reform in the police and criminal justice systems. We just have different ways to achieve these changes. 

We recognize that 81% of black Americans want the same or a higher level of policing in their communities. We listen to the people most affected by crime that vehemently oppose the defunding of police, as seen in Minneapolis. For education, we listen to the majority of black people in America who are in favor of school choice programs. One can just look at the current Democrat stronghold on Baltimore City to see how ineffective their policies have been over the past several decades, with billions of dollars in tax revenue and federal aid at their disposal. Even on the federal level, Republican Senator Tim Scott introduced a police reform bill, and it was the Democrats who walked away and refused to negotiate after Scott offered them as much as 20 amendments to the bill. It was Joe Biden who wrote the 1994 Crime Bill, imprisoning thousands of black people for first-time drug offenses, and Kamala Harris who enforced those policies while laughing about smoking weed in college. It was Joe Biden who chided that people weren’t black if they had trouble figuring out whether they were for him or Trump. The Republican Party does not have a perfect history, but on Trump’s platform and record are real and lasting solutions to help the black community. 

You can judge us all you want for our positions. We understand that people disagree, and that is okay. The free exchange of ideas should be celebrated and not silenced on college campuses. But please understand that there are legitimate reasons why one would vote for the Republican Party, and to paint them with a broad brush as bigots is ignorant in itself. Many students reading this may even resonate with some of the sentiments we are expressing. No matter the results of the election, however, let’s please work together to embrace political diversity, and not silence healthy disagreements and debate. More often than not, the debates that you will have are on the different means to reach the same end. And if you find yourself open for a constructive political conversation, we welcome you at any one of our meetings.

–Loyola College Republicans Executive Board